Shawkan Photo Awards for 2015 : Egypt's best photo for 2015 "Graphic"

A group of Egypt's most famous and talented photographers in Egypt decided to launch an annual photojournalism competition in Egypt to choose the best news photo for the year.

That group of photographers decided to name that competition after detained Freelance photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan and so we have in Egypt now Shawkan Photo Awards.

The judges for this year's Shawkan Photo awards were:

1. Hossam Diab: The former head of photography section in Al-Masry Al-Youm and former head of photographers section in the Egyptian journalists syndicate.
2. Khaled Douski: The head of photography section in AFP Egypt office.
3. Magdy Ibrahim: The head of the photography section in Al-Shorouk.
4. Mosa'ab El-Shamy: A photographer in AP Cairo office.  
5. Eman Helal: A freelancer photographer.

Here are the judges in a nice photo. 

Those judges chose the ten most impressive photos for the year and from those photos they chose the top five including the 2015 Photo. 

From left to right: El-Shamy, Douski, Diab, Ibrahim, Helal

When I look to those photos, I see some of the most important events in 2015.

Here I will share the top five photos descendingly

5- The killing of a Pro-Morsi protester during the Eid in 2015 in Giza by Belal Wagdy

The killing of a protester by Belal Wagdy

4- The breakdown of late lieutenant-colonel Mostafa Al-Wateedy's wife during his funeral after he was killed in a terrorist attack by Al-Sayid Al-Baz in July 2015.

The breakdown of a widow by Al-Sayid Al-Baz

4- The tears of Esraa El-Taweel in court by Sameh Abo Hassan

Read more about it here            

The tears of Esraa by Sameh Abo Hasan

3- The look of dying child after being shot in the clashes between protesters and security forces during the 25 January revolution anniversary protests by Belal Darder.

 I have not seen it before 

The last look by Belal Darder

2- Zamalek sports club after winning the premier league in Egypt by Gehad Hamdy

Zamalek sports club after winning the premier league "#Shawkan awards"

And the photo of 2015 goes to the shot that captured the attention of the whole world when photographer Islam Osama captured the last moments in the life of leftist activist Shaimaa El-Sabbagh 

She was shot down in a rally at Talaat Harb square by security forces on the anniversary of the 25 January revolution on 24 January 2015. After a busy year in a court and a fast trial,a police officer was found guilty of killing a protester and was sentenced15 years in jail in an unprecedented court ruling of its kind. 

Shaimaa El-Sabbagh after being shot down by the security forces
by Islam Osama

Honestly, that photo of Osama and other photos from that rally that ended sadly were the smoking gun against the ministry of interior and its attempt to cover the matter.

Now in addition to those top five photos, the Shawkan Photo awards shared the most popular and like photos on its Facebook page as people's choice.
Here are the photos in no particular order.

• The First meeting between a prisoner in “Marriott cell” aka Al-Jazeera staff trial and his wife after suspending visits in jail for months by Fared Kotb. That detainee is from the other lesser known Egyptian detainees in the case. 

The first meeting after months of absence "Fared Kotb"

• Saving an old man in working class area from a fire by Ahmed Al-Maliky 

Saving the elderly by Ahmed Al-Maliky

• That famous look of Mexico's FM Claudia Ruiz Massie to Egypt's FM Sameh Shoukry during their presser in Cairo after the murder of Mexican tourists in Egypt by Hadeer Mohamed 

That look of Mexico's FM to Egypt's FM
by Hadeer Mohamed

• That moment between a mother and her detainee son at court by dear Heba El-Kholy 

A mother and son in court by Heba El-Kholy

• That moment when a taxi driver sees his car on fire after clashes between Pro-Morsi supporters and security forces in Mataria by Moataz Zaki in January 2015

Your work is on fire by Moataz Zaki

• Zamalek Sports club fan mourning their friends after a stampede followed by clashes in what is known now as the Air Forces stadium massacre in February by Ahmed Abdel Gawd 

Mourning their friends by Ahmed Abdel Gawd

• The protest of MA and Ph.D. holders in Tahrir square that was dispersed by force by Osama El-Sayed. 

Ph.D. Vs. security by Osama El-Sayid

• Another photo from that protest where MA and Ph.D. holders demand jobs from the government by Ahmed Hendawy 

Ph.D./MA holder vs. security by Ahmed Hendawy

• From the same protest, "it was the main protest that broke into Tahrir square", a look from MA/Ph.D. holder to the CSF conscripts by Mohamed Salah. 

That look by Mohamed Salah

• The last photo is a heartbreaking photo of a boy sitting beside the blood of his father who was killed by security forces during his arrest at their home by Hesham El-Khosheny. I have not seen it before. 

Besides my dad's blood by Hesham El-Khosheny

I think some of those photos if not all of them will tell you why some think a camera is a very dangerous device in Egypt.